Automatic clock-winding mechanism.



. iva-737,093.

WESTON M. EU-ETON,'O E

atented ugnst 25, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE..

'KNxoXvILLE, TENNESSEE.

`AUTOMATIC CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIEICATTON forming partof Letters Patent No. 737,093, daten August 25, 1903. Application iiled November 25,1961.r Serial No. 83,625 (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WESTON M. FULTON, a resident of Knoxville,Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Improvement in AutomaticClOck-Winding Devices, which inven- 80,304,1iled October v28, 1901, I have described certain forms of atmospheric motors capable of imparting v rotary motion to a power-shaft; and the present invention .has

for its object to utilize such motors or otherl motors of the Same general type for the purpose of winding clocks without in any way interrupting their function as timepieces. With this object in view the invention consists in thecombination of the power-shaft of an atmospheric motor with meansA for storing power and utilizing such stored power in running the clock. y*

Furthermore, the invention consists inthe combination of the power-shaft of an atmospheric motor with means for storing power,

the mechanism being provided'with automatic devices for disconnecting the powershaft when the limit of capacity of the powerstoring means has been reached andy for again connecting said means and power-shaft upon a predetermined decrease or consumption of the power thus stored.

The inventive ideainvolved is capable of receiving various mechanical expressions,-

and for the sake of illustrating the invention I have shown one of these inthe accompanying drawings, which drawings, however, are not to be taken as defining the limits of the invention, reference being had to the claims for this purpose.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a broken plan view, and Fig. 2 is an isometric perspective,

' of one form of the invention. Fig. Y3 is aper spective View cfa detail, and Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing a modified Way of applying the power due to the motion of the collapsible vessel. Fig. 5 is a still further modifica-tion, and Fig. 6 is a modified form of'a detail;

Referring to the drawings, lis a frame supportedin any suitable manner and affording bearin g for a shaft 2, having sprocket-wheels 3 and 4 keyed thereto, over which Wheels sprocket chains or belts 5 and 6 pass, the lower ends of said belts passing over idlerpulleys 7 and 8 on a shaft 9. A collapsible vmeans of rods 11 11, connected to the upper rigid Wall of the vessel and tothe frame, while the lower rigid wall of the vessel is connectedito the sprocket-belts 5 and 6 by a bar or rod 12,"sothat-rnotion is-imparted to the vbelts invopposite directions as .the vessel contracts and expands,v thereby intermittently revolving the shaft 2 in opposite directions.

Keyed onl the shaft 2are ratchet-wheels 13 and 14, and adjacent thereto are beveled gears 15'and 16, mounted to turn freely on the shaft 2, the two gears 15 and 16 bearing vI`1e verselyinclined pawls 17 and 18, engaging the respective ratchet-Wheels 13 and 14, and said g'ears also meshing with beveled gear 19, mounted to turn on shaft 20, which has bearings in the frame at 21 and'in a projecting arm 22 On'the frame. Rigidly securedto the vshaft 2O is an arm 23, having a lever 24 pivoted thereto which is capable ofl being vibrated into and out of engagement with ratchet-teeth on the rear face of the gear 19,

to the shaft 20. To one end of said lever 24 a slide 25 is connected, said slide being mounted for movement parallel with the shaft 20 in a guide 26, secured to said shaft. This slide -is connected to acollar embracing a nut 27, mounted to turn on a screw-threaded portion of shaft 20. Mounted to turn loosely on the shaft 20 is a gear-wheel 28, to one face of which is secured a drum 29, inclosing a spring 30, one end of which is secured to the shaft at 3l and the other end to the drum at vessel 10 isv suspended to the frame 1 by 32. A ratchet-wheel 33, keyed on the shaft and thereby locking or clutching the gear 19,

vICO

20, is engaged by a pawl 34 on the 'frame 1 and prevents the shaft from revolving except from right to left, while an arm 35, secured to the nut 27, extends between two bars 36, projecting from theface of wheel 28, thereby preventing the nut 27 from turning except with the wheel 28.

The construction of slide 25 and its operation in connection with lever 24 will be best understood by reference to Fig. 3, where the lever is shown pivoted at 37 to the arm 23 and bearing at its lower end a cross-arm 38, at each end of which arm are projecting pins 39, between which a second lever 40 vibrates on the pivot 37. A spring 41 is connected to the lever 40 and the arm 23, as shown, the tension of the spring tending to hold the le ver 40 against one orthe other of the pins 39. The slide 25 has a slot 42 formed in the end thereof, and the free end of lever 40 projects through said slot. Extending across one end of the frame 1 and having bearings therein is a shaft 43, on which is keyed the gearwheel 44, meshing with the wheel 28, while a gear-wheel 45 is loose on the shaft and has projecting rods 46, between which plays an arm 47, secured to a nut 48, engaging screwthrcads on the shaft' 43 to prevent said nut from turning on said shaft independent of gear 45. A gear-wheel 49 is mounted to turn loosely on the projecting end of shaft 43, and this gear 49 has adrum 50, inclosinga spring 5l, with one end fastened to the drum and theotherend to the shaft in the same manner as explained in connection with gear 28, the spring 51 and the gear-wheel 49 being the driving-spring and gear of a clock mechanism. Turning in a bearing 52 is a shaft 53, parallel with shaft 43, carrying gear-wheels 54 and 55, fast thereon and gearing, respectively, with gears 49 and 55.

Extending across the end of frame 1 opposite to shaft 43 is shaft 56, having bearings in the frame and carrying gear 57, keyed -thereto, and a flutter-wheel 58, also fast thereon, the Hutter-wheel being normally engaged by a stop 59 exactly similar to that shown in Fig. 3, which stop is operated by a slide 60, (corresponding to slide 25,) having a collarengaging nut 48 on shaft 43.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume the Vessel 10 to contain some expansive agent or mixture, as air and ammoniagas in the presence of water, which will absorb a portion of the gas, and thus cause the Vessel to partially collapse, thereby elevating the points l2 12, where the vessel is connected to the belts 5 and 6, and causing the wheel 16 to engage and turn the gear 19 in a direction the reverse of the movements of the hands of a watch. If now the temperature should rise, the water in the vessel would give off. a portion of the absorbed gas, the vessel would expand and cause gear-wheel 15 to turn gear 19 in the same direction as did gear 16, all in substantially the same manner as set forth in my patent above referred to. Since the gear 19 is clutched or locked to the shaft 2O by the catch-lever 24, the shaft 2O turns with said gear 19, thereby winding up the spring 30 within the drum 29. Gear-wheel 28 is locked against revolution by stop 59 through Hutter-wheel 58 and gear 57, and the revolutions of shaft 2O therefore cause the nut 27 to gradually approach the wheel 19 and push the slide 25 till its slotted end 42 advances the lever 40 past its median line, whereupon the spring 41 acts to quickly throw lever 40 against the pin 39 opposite to that against which it rests in Fig. 3, thereby withdrawing lever 24 from engagement with wheel 19, and thus disconnecting said wheel from the shaft 20 and leaving it free to turn on said shaft. This disengagement of wheel 19 from shaft 20 is timed to occur at the instant when the spring is fully wound or wound to the desired tension. The action of the spring 51 is to drive the wheel 49, which may be geared in the usual way with the clock mechanism, and the wheel 45 is revolved around the shaft 43 by the intermediate gears 54 55, thereby operating the nut 48, which actuates the slide 60 and withdraws the stop 59 from the fluttenwheel 58 before the spring 51 is run down. This frees the large gear-wheel 28, and it is driven in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and through the gear 44 and shaft 43 rewinds the spring 5l, which is weaker than spring 30.' The revolution of the shaft 43 while winding spring 51 advances nut 48 and slide 60 to again cause stop 59 to engage flutter-wheel 58, the stop 59 being secured to a flexible lever to avoid a too sudden stoppage of the parts. It will be noted that by reason of the construction shown in Fig. 3 the clutchlever 24 and the stop 59 are suddenly thrown into and out of operation, thereby avoiding noise and wear upon the mechanism. From the foregoing it will be seen that the oflice of the spring 30 is merely to store energy generated by the motor, and the spring may be made large and strong, so that the supply of energy generated by the motor when atmospheric changes are great may be utilized for winding the clock during periods of stagnation in weather conditions.

In Fig. 8 of my Patent No. 685,269 I have shown lneans whereby a wheel P3 and weight V may replace the wheel 28 and spring 30 herein shown. In some cases the motor may be directly connected to the clock-winding shaft 43 without the intervention of an arrangement, as spring 30, for storing power.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an arrangement in which the collapsible vessel is confined Within a frame 61, having long narrow slots 62 63 in its opposite sides, and guide-pins 64, secured to the vessel, travel in said slots. A sprocket chain or belt 65 is secured to the IOO IZO

leys 66, 67, 68, and 69 on the frame and thence to the sprocket-wheel or driving-pulley 70,

which corresponds to either of'the pulleys 3 or 4 of Figs. l and 2. It 'will be understood vthat there may be two ot the belts or sprockety chains and two of the pulleys or sprocketto produce increased movement of the sprocket-chain.

Instead of the wheel 45, shaft 53, and wheels 54 and 55 for operating the nut 48 I may use the construction shown in Fig. 6, in which the wheel 49 has a hub or boss extending along the shaft 43, and an arm 77 is secured thereto-and supports rods 78, between which the rod 47 on the hub extends. The'operation of this construction is identical with that shown in Figs. l and 2.

Y Having thus described the invention, I claim- I. In'an automatic clock-winding device, the combinationof a motor actuated by variations in atmospheric conditions, a powerstoring device, and a clock mechanism, with means automatically connecting and disconnecting said motor and power-storing device, and automatic connecting and disconnecting means between said clock mechanism and the power-storing device.

2. In an automatic clock-winding device, the combination of a motor operated by variations in atmospheric temperature and pressure, a power-storing device,`automatic connecting and disconnecting means operated respectively by the power-storing device and the motor to connect and disconnect the two,

a clock mechanism operatively connected to device, and automatic connecting and disand motor, a nut on said threaded shaft and operatively connected to 'said clutch and actuati'ng thc'same to connect and disconnect the shaft and motor, means restraining said nut from turning-during the revolutions of the shaft, and means turning said nut around said shaft during the operation ofthe powerstoring device. l

5. In a clock-winding device, the combination of a motor, a power-storing device, and a clock mechanism, a shaft operatively connected to said power-storing device, aclutch between said shaft and motor, a spring operatively connected to said clutch and means reversing the direction in which said spring `throws said clutch at predetermined times.

6. In a clock-winding device, the combination of a motor, a power-storing deyice andl y a clock mechanism, with a clutch ybetween said motor and power-storing.device,a springactuated detent normally restraining the storing device against winding the clock mechanism and means operated by the clock'mechanism to reverse the action of the spring, whereby the detent lis withdrawn from the power-storing device.

7.. In a clock-winding device, the combination of a motor, a power-storing device, and a clock mechanism, with a clutch between said motor and power-storing device, a detent normally restraining the storing device against winding the clock mechanism, 'a spring actuatingsaid detent, means reversing the direction of action of. said spring, and connections between the power-storing device and spring, and between the clock mechanism rco and said spring, whereby the detent iswithdrawn when the clock is nearly run down and is returned when the clock is Wound.

8. In an automatic clock-winding device, the combination of a spring having a windingshaft, a power-storing device, a motor actuated by variations in atmospheric conditions to move alternately in opposite directions, with means for actuating said device during the opposite movements of said motor, and means automatically connecting and disconnecting said motor and power-storingdevice, connections between said power-storing device and said winding-shaft, a stop normally holding said power-storing device inoperative,'and automatic means periodically withpredetermined point, connections between In testimony whereof have signed this said power-storing spring and the windingspecification `in the presence of two subscribshaft of the mainspring, a stop normally ing witnesses.

holding said powerstoring spring nopera- WESTON M. FULTON. 5 tive and means automatically withdrawing Witnesses:

said stop when the mainspring is unwound E. F. MYNUTT,

to a predetermined point. JNO. C. HAUK. 

